Sanding device for automobiles



P. R. SHAILER.

SANDING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-7. 1920.

1,387,620. Patented A g- 16,1921.

INVEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

, Washington,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SANDING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent- Patented Aug. 16*, 1921.

Application iiled. August 7, 1920.- Serial No. 401,981.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL R. SHAILER, a citizen of the United States,residing at in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Sanding Devices for Automobiles; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form 1 art of this specification.

The object of ti "s invention is to provide a novel construction ofsanding device more particularly intended for automobiles, includingself-propelled trucks, but which is adapted for use with road vehicles,generally, such as wagons, carriages, etc., and for use with railwaycars and locomotives, and which is actuated by the operator, forpreventing skidding of the moving conveyance equipped therewith.

A further object is to device of this character, controlled by thedriver lever.

A further object is to provide a sanding device peculiarly adapted foruse on automobiles, which will be extremely simple in construction,thoroughly practical from a manufacturing standpoint, and entirelyefiicient in o ration.

ith these objects in view, the invention resides, enerally stated, in ahopper, or container, or sand, disposed in proximity to the drivingwheels of the automobile, a. valve provide a sanding .which ispreferably through a pedal, or

controlling the outlet from said hopper, and

connections between the valve stem and a.

pedal, or lever, within convenient reach of 'the operator, for openingsaid valve to permit egress of the sand in front of the driving wheelsof the machine.

As one example of an application of my invention, it is disclosed in theaccompanying drawing (which, together with the reference charactersthereon, forms a part of this specification) as installed in anautomobile. Briefiy described:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an automobile equipped with mysanding apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the hopper and part of the mechanism foroperating the valve;

F i 3 is a sectional view on the line 3, 3 of 1g. 2, looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the km 4, 4 of Fig. 3 lookingin the direction of the arrows, an I Fig. 5 is a. detached detail view,in perspectlve, of the valve and the agitators carried thereby.

Referring now in detail to the drawing:

1 deslgnates an automobile, which may be of conventional construction,forming no part of my invention.

2 designates a hopper, or sand receptacle, which may be of suitableconstruction, preferably having a lower curved, or tapering, portion 3,having in its bottom an opening 4, constituting the exit for the sandcontained within the hopper. Said opening is preferably annular inhorizontal section, and the side wall thereof is preferably tapering, asshown at 5, to provide a valve seat.

Depending from the bottom of the hopper 2,- and communicating with theexit 4, and disposed in an inclined position with reference to the axisof the hopper 2, are divergent pipes 6, 6, the exits, or nozzles, 7 ofsaid ipes being directly in front of the automo ile driving wheels 8.

The hopper 2 is referably constructed of metal and is provi ed in itsside wall with an opening 9, closed by a transparent member 10,preferably of glass, and constituting a eep-hole.

he open top of the hopper 2 is normally closed by a cover 11, which maybe removably secured to the hopper, against accidental displacement, inany suitable manner.

Said cover 11 is provided with an opening 12, constituting a fillingopening. A nipple 13 is carried by the cover 11 and encircles theopening 12 and is exteriorly threaded at its free end *for engagementwith a screw ca 14, which normally closes said nipple. Advantageously,the opening 12 is protected by a screen 15, so that sand poured into thehopper through the nipple 13 will be filtered, or strained.

The cover 11 is-also provided with a cen tral, open-ended tube 16,preferably nonoircular in cross section, as shown in Fig. 4.

Slidable within said tube 16 (which, when the cover 11 is disposed onthe hopper 2, is within the latter) is a valve stem 17 of a crosssectional shape corresponding to the cross sectional shape of the tube,so that said when the valve 18 is lifted, said curved por-' tion 19 willtend to force the sand upward, thus agitating the same and insuring afree escape thereof through the exit 4.

Said valve stem 1 is also provided, toward its lower end with agitatingmembers 20, four of such members being shown in the drawing,-but anysuitable number may be employed as may be desired. Each of saidagitators 20 consists, in this instance, of a curved, or twisted, blade,similar to the prop eller blade on a steamship, or airplane. referably,each of the flat faces of the valve stem 17 is provided withrone ofthese agitating members 20. I

The end of the valve stem 17 projecting throu h the cover 11, isprovided with. a longitudlnally extending series of rack teeth 21,meshing with a cog wheel 22, fast on a shaft 23, rotatably supported inbearings, or cars, 24, 24, carried by the cover 11.

The end of the shaft 23, adjacent the circumferential edge of the cover11, is secured to one end of a crank 25, the other end of the latterbeing pivotally connected, as shown at 26, to one end of a dependinglink 27, pivotally connected at its lower end, as shown at 28, -to onearmv 29 of a bell crank lever, fulcrumed at 30 on a bracket 31,

carried by and projecting from the side wall of the ho per 2. The otherarm 32 of the bell cran lever is pivotally secured, as

shown at 33, to one end of a rod 34, preferably in two sections, unitedby a turn-buckle 35. The other end of said rod 34 is pivotallyconnected, as shown at'36, to one arm 37 of a bell crank lever,fulcrumed, as shown at 38, to the automobile, the other arm 39 of saidlever being pivoted to the brake pedal 40, disposed within convenientreach of the operator and as found upon all automobiles. Instead of apedal for actuatin the sanding mechanism, a hand actuated brake levermay be used. for this purpose; or the sanding mechanism may of course'beactuated otherwise than by the brake pedal or lever.

The cover 11 of the hopper 2 is preferably provided with atransparent'panel 41,

- constituting a peep-hole.

In operation, it will be seen that, by pressing the pedal 40, by theoperators foot, the bellcrank lever 37- 39 is rocked on its fulcrum '38,thereby throwing the arm 37 of' said lever forward, the latter ullinupon the rod 34, which rocks the vbel cra lever 29-32 on its fulcrum 30,so that the arm 39 p downward, imparting apull upon the 1m 27 androcking the crank thereof is swun the traction.

application of the brakes.

seat 5, permitting the sand within the hopper to escape throughthe exit4 and thence through the pipes 6, 6 to the ground in front of thedriving wheels 8.

Any suitable means for automatically returning the parts to normalposition after the operation just described, may be provided, and inthis instance, I have shown a coiled retractile spring 42, secured atone end to the depending arm 37 of the bell crank lever 37-39, andsecured at its other end, as shown at 43, to the automobile.

It will be apparent from the above de scription of the construction andoperation of my sanding mechanism that it is susceptible of use inconnection with any make of automobile, or truck, or locomotive, orrailway or street-car, or road vehicle.

It will be understood, of course, that the sand is applied under thetraction wheels of the vehicle for the purpose of increasing Underordinary conditions the requirement for such traction increases eitherat stopping or starting of the vehicle, or at least when the brakes areapplied for retarding the action. p the sanding arrangement with thebrake lever, either foot lever or hand lever, therefore,.accomplishesthe purpose aimed at in that when the vehicle is stopped by applying thebrake, sand will be applied in front of and under the traction wheels.When the vehicle is to be started, the sand thus previously applied willstill be in position to assist in the tractional engagement of the wheelwith the avement. Of course, in the case of skidding, or the like, it isnormally the action to apply the brakes, and with the, device abovedescribed, the application of the brakes will simultaneously apply thesand under and before the traction wheels making a positive grip andskidding will thus be automatically prevented by the What I claim to benew is:

A sanding device, comprising a hopper having an exit, a removable topfor said hopper, carrying a depending, open-ended tubular member, avalve controlling the escape of sand through said exit and carrying avalve stem slidable in said tubular member, and projecting through saidtop, said projecting end being provided with rack teeth, a gear meshingwith said rack teeth, and means for rotating said gear through the arcof a circle.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

PAUL It. SHAILER.

The connection of

